Final Builds Site - Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Welcome. On this page you can find many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers.

Note: Codec packs and filesharing clients are completely free. Ignore the fraudulent scam sites that ask money for them. Codec packs and filesharing clients also do not require subscriptions of any kind: these subscriptions do not exist. If you do have been tricked in paying, then contact your credit card company to see if the money can be refunded.

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General

+ Question: Where can I find more information about the applications (in English)?: Answer: More information can be found on the Final Builds Site:
finalbuilds.com
+ Question: Is the information on the Final Builds Site also available in other languages than English?: Answer: Yes, besides English all information is also available in Dutch (Nederlands) on:
codecpack.nl
+ Question: Where can I find the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers?: Answer: You already have found it, you're even reading one of the questions.
+ Question: Is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers also available in other languages than English?: Answer: Yes, besides English the FAQ is also available in Dutch (Nederlands) on:
codecpack.nl
+ Question: Where can I find information about encoding movies?: Answer: Information and guides about encoding movies can be found on the following website:
www.doom9.org
+ Question: What's the disclaimer of this website?: Answer: This website only provides information. This website does not host any downloads. Links for downloads on this website point to third party servers. You leave this website if you use any of these links. This website has not reviewed these third party websites and does not control and is not responsible for any of these websites or their content. This website is independent and not affiliated with any of these third parties or with developers of software.
+ Question: Do I have to pay for codec packs or filesharing clients?: Answer: No, codec packs and filesharing clients are completely free. Ignore the fraudulent scam sites that ask money for them. Codec packs and filesharing clients also do not require subscriptions of any kind: these subscriptions do not exist.
+ Question: What should I do when I already have paid for codec packs or filesharing clients?: Answer: If you do have been tricked in paying for free software, then contact your credit card company to see if the money can be refunded.
+ Question: What are codecs?: Answer: Most players use DirectShow for playback. DirectShow is a system that uses multiple DirectShow filters as building blocks to construct what is called a DirectShow graph. It's just like a tree: a file is a root of the graph and the audio and video renderers are the leaves of the graph. During playback data flows from the root to the leaves. Each filter in the graph performs a subtask of the whole process. Typical elements in the graph are a source filter (splitter) and decoders for the audio and video. A source filter is responsible for reading the file format and feeding the data to the other filters downstream in the graph. During graph creation, if DirectShow finds multiple filters that are able to perform the same subtask, then it will typically select the filter that has the highest merit. The merit of a filter is simply a numerical value that indicates the preferability of the filter. Tools exist to alter the merit of a DirectShow filter. Advanced players are often able to manipulate which filters are used in the graph, allowing for example to block or prefer certain filters. If no suitable DirectShow filter can be found to decode a certain audio or video format, then DirectShow is able to fall back to using VFW (Video For Windows) and ACM (Audio Compression Manager) codecs (see below) through special wrapper filters.
It is a myth that filters can conflict with each other. If something goes wrong it is simply because some filters in the graph are not performing their subtasks correctly. The filters in the K-Lite Codec Pack are carefully selected to provide you with optimal functionality and a minimal chance of running into problems.
Codec is short for Compressor-decompressor, which is a piece of software that is able to decode and encode a certain format. By this definition, a DirectShow filter is not a codec.
Two other systems are VFW (Video For Windows) and ACM (Audio Compression Manager). Components for these system are called codecs, because they are typically able to both encode and decode. These two types of codecs are required by most video editing applications, such as VirtualDub. Traditional video editing applications are not able to use DirectShow. More modern applications are sometimes capable of using DirectShow for decoding, but they usually still require VFW and ACM codecs for encoding.

Installation

+ Question: When I want to install a program I get the following error: "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program." or "... is not a valid Win32 application". I have downloaded the program several times, even from different servers, but that doesn't solve the problem. How can I solve this problem?: Answer: An error telling you that files you downloaded are corrupted usually indicates the connection to the server was lost while you were downloading. This will cause your file to be downloaded only partially, even though the browser might think the file is downloaded completely (because it stopped receiving data). When you try to download the file again the browser will recognize the filename and retrieves the file from its cache instead of downloading it. Because of that the error keeps coming back, even if you try to download the file from a different server.
To solve this problem you need to clear the cache of your browser and then retry downloading the file. Clearing the cache of your browser will force the browser to download the file from the Internet again instead of taking the corrupt version from the cache on the harddisk.
To clear the cache of the browser Internet Explorer you need to click on the menu Tools (on top of the screen) and select the Internet-options... option. Then you need to click on Delete files... (in the middle of the window) and then twice on OK.
To clear the cache of the browser Mozilla Firefox you need to click on the menu Tools (on top of the screen) and select the Options... option. Then you need to click on Advanced, Network and then on the Clear Now button beside Cache. Then you can click on OK to close the window.
Although it's not required by all browsers, restarting your browser after clearing the cache is a good idea.
Download the desired file from a download mirror if the problem occurs again.
+ Question: Where can I find which version is installed currently?: Answer: Which version is currently installed can be found in Add/Remove Programs (Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel and then double-click on Add/Remove Programs).
+ Question: Is it recommended to update a program which is installed on my computer when a new version of that program is released?: Answer: Yes, it is highly recommended to always use the latest versions of programs, because of fixed bugs, added features and fixed security flaws and holes. So it is important not only to update Windows using Microsoft Update, update the virusscanner and the firewall, but also regularly update the other programs to the latest versions.
+ Question: Is it recommended to uninstall existing codec related software before installing?: Answer: Yes, it is highly recommended to uninstall existing codec related software (with the exception of standard Windows codecs and codecs which support formats that the software you want to install does not support) before installing. This way your system stays clean and potential problems will be avoided.
Unless the installer tells you differently it is not necessary to uninstall old versions before upgrading to a newer version, if there only have been a few small changes between the old and the new version you can just install the new version on top of the old version. That should work fine, without any problems. It is no problem when you do uninstall them, but keep in mind that the uninstaller will remove your settings too. If there have been major changes the installer will automatically prompt you that you should uninstall first.
+ Question: Is it possible to uninstall only a couple components (and keep the rest)?: Answer: No, that is not possible. You'll have to uninstall everything and then install again with only those components selected that you want.
You can however disable (and re-enable) all codecs and filters using the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool. This will not uninstall the codecs, but it will disable them.
+ Question: At the beginning of the installation I am asked if I want to uninstall a program. Is that required?: Answer: No, that is not required. Simply click No to keep your existing software.
However it is highly recommended to uninstall other codec packs to avoid problems and keep your system as clean as possible.
+ Question: I get an error during installation, the error message is "An error occurred while trying to replace the existing file: DeleteFile failed; code 5. Access denied.". What should I do?: Answer: This means that the installer tries to replace a file that is currently already in place and in use by another program. Close all programs that are active and click on Retry. If the same error keeps appearing, then just click on Ignore to continue the installation.
+ Question: When installing I get a message saying "Error writing to registry key". What can I do to solve that?: Answer: This answer is for experts only. This registry error will occur when the security permissions for a registry key are incorrect, which can be solved with a Registry Editor. Click on Start, then click on Run and type regedit and press enter. Then navigate to the key mentioned in the error message. Right-click on that key and select Permissions. Then make sure that the Administrators group has Full Control.
+ Question: What is the difference between the AVI splitters available in the K-Lite Codec Pack?: Answer: Microsoft: Has problems playing incomplete and truncated files.
Gabest and MPC internal: This one is able to play most incomplete and truncated files without problems.
Haali: Has problems playing (truncated) files that don't contain an AVI index. Contains an audio switcher, which is useful for playing .avi files that have multiple audio tracks (which is quite rare) in players that don't contain an audio switcher themselves (so basically it is only useful for Windows Media Player).
+ Question: Is it possible to install the software automatically/silently/unattended?: Answer: Yes, an unattended installation (also known as a silent installation) is possible. An unattended installation is a silent installation that doesn't require any user interaction.
Run the setup with the command line parameter -MakeUnattended to create an unattended setup. A wizard called "Unattended Install Maker" will appear. Follow the instructions given in the wizard to easily create an automatic installation.
+ Question: Does the software include an uninstaller?: Answer: Yes.
+ Question: Does the uninstaller remove everything that the installer puts on my system?: Answer: Yes. All files and registry keys are removed.

Playback problems

+ Question: My computer has problems playing audio and video files. How can I fix that?

Answer: Install the latest version of the K-Lite Codec Pack.

+ Question: My computer has a problem playing a certain audio or video file. How can I fix that?

Answer: Install the latest version of the K-Lite Codec Pack if you haven't done that already and try to play the file using Media Player Classic (MPC). This is for two reasons: First MPC is better able to play certain files than other players and second MPC shows more helpful error messages. When that doesn't work, then install VideoLAN and try to play the file using VideoLAN. VideoLAN is an excellent multimedia player which is capable of playing almost any format with its own plugins, so it doesn't need any codecs to be installed on your computer. When that also doesn't work you have to make sure the file you are trying to play is a real one (not a fake) and that it's not corrupt.

+ Question: My computer has problems streaming, which is simultaneously downloading and playing audio and/or video directly from the Internet, when using Media Player Classic. How can I fix that?

Answer: First make sure you have properly installed the latest version of the software. Secondly, make sure you have a recent version of Microsoft DirectX installed. Thirdly, there are some settings for Media Player Classic that you can change:
Start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). Then put the settings for DirectShow Video to System Default (the first option). Then close Media Player Classic and try again to play streaming files. If it still doesn't work, you could try the other video options too (DirectX 7 and DirectX 9).

+ Question: I have trouble playing MPEG files (files with .mpg/.mpeg/etc. as extension), what can I do about that?

Answer: There are two types of MPEG video who use the same extensions, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. The most common one of these two that is used in .mpg/.mpeg files is MPEG-1. Windows should support playback of MPEG-1 video without the need to install any additional codecs or filters. If playback using the default Windows filters fails for some odd reason, then you should enable the internal MPEG-1 decoder of Media Player Classic. Also enable the internal MPEG PS/TS/PVA source filter. To access these options: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters.
MPEG-2 is the video format that is used on DVDs and also for SVCDs. To play MPEG-2 you need to install an MPEG-2 decoder. The K-Lite Codec Pack has several decoders from which you can choose.
There are also two different MPEG container formats. A container is simply a wrapper for holding audio and video. The most common one is MPEG Program Stream (PS). Windows contains a filter to read this container format. The other one is MPEG Transport Stream (TS). The K-Lite Codec Pack contains a filter for that format.

+ Question: I am not able to play .avi files, what can I do?

Answer: If the problem only occurs with some .avi files, then those files are probably (partially) broken. Either use a tool that can fix the files or use a different AVI splitter:
If you use Media Player Classic then enable the internal AVI splitter. To access these options: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters. If you use another player, then install Gabest AVI splitter, which is a standalone version of the internal one in MPC. This splitter is able to handle most broken .avi files.
If you are not able to play any .avi files at all, then the AVI source filter of Windows is probably broken. You can fix it by doing the following:
Click on Start, then click on Run and type
regsvr32 quartz.dll
and press enter.

+ Question: I can't play .avi files anymore after using WinAVI Video Converter. What do I have to do to fix that?

Answer: WinAVI sometimes breaks the AVI source filter of Windows. You can fix it by doing the following:
Click on Start, then click on Run and type
regsvr32 quartz.dll
and press enter.

+ Question: I have trouble playing incomplete .avi files. Can you help?

Answer: Enable the internal AVI splitter in Media Player Classic, which is better able to handle incomplete files than the default AVI source filter that is part of Windows.
To access these options: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters, there you can find the option under Source Filters. For other players you need to install Gabest AVI splitter.

+ Question: .avi files containing H.264 video play upside down in BSplayer and Windows Media Player (WMP), how can I turn them around?

Answer: The solution for playing these files correctly is to enable H.264 decoding in ffdshow. Go to ffdshow Video decoder configuration and set H.264 to libavcodec at the codecs page.

+ Question: I can't play .avi files containing H.264 video, how can I view them?

Answer: Early versions of CoreAVC have trouble decoding H.264 video when the video is stored in a container in VFW mode instead of native mode (which is the best way). In the AVI container, H.264 video is always in VFW mode due to limitations of the container format.
The solution for playing these files is to enable H.264 decoding in ffdshow. Go to ffdshow Video decoder configuration and set H.264 to libavcodec at the codecs page.

+ Question: More then one audio track is being played simultaneously, I want to hear only one single audio stream. How can I change that?

Answer: When multiple (two most times) audio streams are played at the same time that means that you are using a player that doesn't contain a stream switcher. If you play a file that contains multiple audio, video and/or subtitle streams then your player is trying to play them all instead of just one of them.
Solutions:

Use a player with a build in stream switcher, like Media Player Classic.
Use a source filter that contains a build-in stream switcher, like Haali's splitter.
Use a special stream switcher filter such as Morgan Multimedia Stream Switcher.

+ Question: When playing movies with AC3 sound the video often skips, how can I fix this?

Answer: The utility ReClock might solve your problem.

+ Question: The video stutters very badly, how can I make the video to stutter less?

Answer: This is usually caused by buggy graphics drivers, try a different version, either older or newer. If you are using Windows Vista or newer then make sure that you're using recent drivers.

+ Question: The video stutters a lot when I play it fullscreen, what causes that?

Answer: This can be a result of certain graphics card settings. Try changing the following settings in your graphics card control panel:

Set FSAA to Let the application decide
Disable anisotopic filtering (AF)
Disable antialiasing (AA)

+ Question: I have no sound in Flash movies on websites like YouTube, how can that be fixed?

Answer: Here are some things you can try to solve the problem:

Install the latest version of the Flash plugin. If you have problems upgrading the plugin, then uninstall your existing version first with the Flash Uninstall Tool. Close your browser(s) before you run the uninstall tool or upgrade the Flash plugin.
Run the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool. Near the top you should see an option to fix the sound. Select that and press Next. If the option is greyed out, then that particular registry fix is not needed.
Empty your Temporary Internet Files (cache).
To clear the cache of the browser Internet Explorer you need to click on the menu Tools (on top of the screen) and select the Internet-options... option. Then you need to click on Delete files... (in the middle of the window) and then twice on OK.
To clear the cache of the browser Mozilla Firefox you need to click on the menu Tools (on top of the screen) and select the Options... option. Then you need to click on Advanced, Network and then on the Clear Now button beside Cache. Then you can click on OK to close the window.
Although it's not required by all browsers, restarting your browser after clearing the cache is a good idea.
Flash stores its files in the Temporary Files folder (directory). A corrupt download can cause problems. To empty your temporary files folder:
- Click on Start, then click on Run and type
  RD /S /Q "%TEMP%"
  and press enter.
- Check the box called Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer.
- Check if your sound device settings are correct. Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, Sound and Audio Devices, Audio.
- If you have QuickTime installed, then go to the QuickTime control panel. On the Audio tab, set Default Music Synthesizer to General MIDI. On the Advanced tab, disable Enable playback of Adobe Flash tracks. On the browser tab, click on MIME Settings. Under Miscellaneous, make sure Flash media is unchecked.
- Check if the file msacm32.drv is present in your Windows\system32 folder (directory). If not, copy it from another installation that has the same version of Windows and place the file in the Windows\system32 folder (directory).
- If you're also having sound problems with other applications, then re-installing your audio drivers might solve the problem.

+ Question: The audio volume is really low, how can I make it louder?

Answer: This is a common problem that is usually caused by the downmixing of 5.1 channel audio to stereo.
Possible solutions:

Use the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool to configure your speaker settings.
If you are using AC3Filter to decode AC3 or DTS audio, then try the Boost AC3 volume option. You can enable that using the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool. This option should increase the volume of the voices and dialogs. You can also do this manually in the AC3Filter settings by adjusting the gain for the Voice audio channel.
If you are using ffdshow to decode the audio, then go to ffdshow audio configuration. Enable Volume in the left panel. Another method is to enable Voice control on the Mixer page. There you can also find a slider to increase the volume of the Voice audio channel.

+ Question: The volume of voices and dialogs is very low compared to the other sounds, what can I do to balance it more?

Answer: See the answer of the question above.

+ Question: I have no video an certain .ogm files, how can I get it?

Answer: Enable the internal Ogg splitter in Media Player Classic. A few files don't seem to work properly with Haali's Ogg splitter.
To access this option: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters, there you can find the option under Source Filters.

+ Question: When I try to play an MPEG Transport Stream (.ts) file I get the error: Cannot render the file. How can I let it render?

Answer: Enable the internal MPEG PS/TS/PVA source filter in Media Player Classic.
To access this option: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters, there you can find the option under Source Filters.

+ Question: Vorbis audio in MP4 container does not play, how can I hear the audio?

Answer: Use the Haali MP4 splitter instead of the Gabest MP4 splitter.

+ Question: MP3 and video files play too fast in Windows Media Player, how can I slow them down to normal speed?

Answer: Go to AC3Filter settings, then disable PCM on the System tab.

+ Question: How can I play .3gp files?

Answer: The K-Lite Codec Pack is required for playing .3gp files.
Another solution is to configure Media Player Classic (MPC) to use the QuickTime components to play .3gp files.
Start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Formats (under Player). There you should see an item called MPEG4 file.
Click on the group MPEG4 file and remove the filetype .3gp from the list. Now scroll down a bit to the group QuickTime file and add .3gp to that list.

+ Question: How can I play .amr files?

Answer: The QuickTime codecs are required for playing .amr files.
Then the QuickTime codecs are installed you should be able to play .amr files in Media Player Classic. Playing .amr files doesn't work in Windows Media Player and most other players.

+ Question: The player freezes at the beginning of a MPEG-1 video, how can I prevent that from happening?

Answer: The MainConcept MPEG decoder may freeze the player when the Overlay Mixer renderer is used. To solve this problem click on the Reset to recommended settings shortcut in the start menu or change the renderer in Media Player Classic. To do this start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). There you can find the renderer settings under DirectShow Video.

+ Question: How can I play .avi files from Blizzard games?

Answer: Videos belonging to games from Blizzard Entertainment contain DivX video, but with a different FourCC, namely BLZ0. To play such videos you need to use ffdshow for decoding DivX video. Go to ffdshow Video decoder configuration. On the Codecs page set DivX 4/5/6 to libavcodec.
The regular DivX decoder won't work unless you manually change the FourCC.

+ Question: Some QuickTime .mov files give an error in Windows Media Player, how can I watch them?

Answer: Rename the extension of the files from .mov to .qt and try again. If that doesn't solve the problem then you should use Media Player Classic or VideoLAN to play the file.

+ Question: How can I make 6 channel WMA (Windows Media Audio) play properly on stereo speakers?

Answer: WMVHD (Windows Media Video High Definition) files can contain a 5.1 channel audio stream. If you play such a file on a computer that only has two speakers then you will only hear the sound from two of the six channels. This causes for example the voices (center channel) to be almost unhearable.
The solution is to downmix the six (5.1) channels into two channels. There are two ways to do this, you can either use AC3Filter or ffdshow.
In ffdshow Audio decoder configuration, go to the Codecs page. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and set Uncompressed to All supported. Now go to the Mixer page and enable the checkbox in front of Mixer to activate the mixer filter, finally set the Output speakers configuration to 2/0 - stereo.
In AC3Filter options, go to the System tab and enable the checkbox in front of PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). Also set the Output setting to 2/0 - stereo on the Main or Mixer tab.

+ Question: I can't seek when playing certain Windows Media Video (.wmv) files in Media Player Classic, can that be fixed?

Answer: This can happen with incomplete Windows Media Video (.wmv) files. Start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Tweaks and uncheck Use the WM ASF Reader for Windows Media files (enables faster seeking, but won't seek with incomplete files at all).

+ Question: Some Windows Media Video (.wmv) files play choppy in Media Player Classic, but fine in Windows Media Player, how can that be?

Answer: See the answer of the question above.

+ Question: Some Windows Media Video (.wmv) files won't play with Media Player Classic at all. How can I see them?

Answer: See the answer of the question above.

+ Question: I have problems playing some files in certain players. Can you fix that?

Answer: Use Media Player Classic. It can handle files better than other players.
If you use an external instance of Media Player Classic, then make sure it is properly configured. See above.

+ Question: I get a message about acquiring a license when I try to play certain media files. What does that mean?

Answer: That means that the file is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), which is a sort of copyright protection method. You generally need to buy a license before you are allowed to play the file.

+ Question: How do I play files in Windows Media Player (instead of in Media Player Classic)?

Answer: You need to have the latest version of the K-Lite Codec Pack installed on your computer. Then change the file association of the files so that they open in Windows Media Player (WMP).

Display issues

+ Question: My video plays very weird and is all messed up, it would be nice if that could be fixed. Do you know how I can do that?

Answer: If the symptoms are that the video is only showing in the top half of the screen or it is shown twice or both up-side-down you could try the following possible solutions:

Use ffdshow to decode XviD instead of the XviD decoder.
In XviD decoder configuration, force Output colorspace to YV12.
Use an older version of DirectVobSub (VSFilter) instead of the latest version.
Enable YV12 in ffdshow Video decoder configuration: Options, Output.
Use Windows Vista's default theme instead of the classic theme.

General solutions to try when the video displayed is all messed up:

In Media Player Classic, go to Options, Playback, Output, DirectShow video and select a different renderer.
Use a different version of your graphics card driver.

+ Question: The video contains one or more weird lines, is there anything I can do about it?

Answer: This may happen with some buggy graphics drivers.
A workaround that often helps is to disable usage of the YV12 colorspace. In ffdshow Video decoder configuration uncheck YV12 on the Output page.

+ Question: The video plays with the wrong colors, is there anything I can do about it?

Answer: This may happen with some buggy graphics drivers.
If this only happens with Windows Media Video (.wmv) files, then you should disable DXVA Hardware acceleration.
If the problem occurs with other video formats then a workaround that often helps is to disable usage of the YV12 colorspace. In ffdshow Video decoder configuration uncheck YV12 on the Output page.

+ Question: All colors look completely wrong when playing Windows Media Video (.wmv) files, what can I do to fix that?

Answer: If you have an ATi video card, this is caused by the driver trying to accelerate WMV decoding (and failing to do so properly). You need to disable DXVA Windows Media Video (.wmv) hardware acceleration.
With newer ATi drivers, this can only be done from the Catalyst Control Center (CCC):

Start the Catalyst Control Center.
Click View, Advanced View.
Go to Video, All Settings.
Scroll down to the bottom.
Uncheck Windows Media Video Acceleration.
Click Apply.
Close the CCC and reboot the computer.

If you have an older ATi driver that doesn't include the CCC, you'll find the Windows Media Video (.wmv) acceleration setting in the Windows Desktop properties:

Right-click on the desktop and click Properties.
Click the Settings tab.
Click the Advanced button.
Here you'll find a checkbox called WMV acceleration. Uncheck it.
Click OK and reboot the computer.

+ Question: .avi files containing H.264 video play all messed up, is there anything I can do about it?

Answer: This may happen when Haali Media Splitter is used as a source filter for AVI and CoreAVC for decoding the H.264 video.
Solutions:

Use a different source filter for AVI. Either Microsoft or Gabest.
In CoreAVC options, move YUY2 to the top of the list of color spaces.

+ Question: The video plays black and white in Windows Media Player, how can I add color?

Answer: This problem is usually caused by a bug in the graphics drivers. First try resetting all the drivers settings to their default values. If that doesn't help, then try a different version of the driver, either older or newer.
A workaround that often works in Windows Media Player is to go to the Tools menu, Options, Performance and Advanced. That brings up the video acceleration settings. There you should see options called Use overlays and Use high quality mode. Change those settings and restart WMP.

+ Question: Video playback is too dark on some files, how can I make it better?

Answer: Adjust the brightness. There are several ways to do that:
Graphics card
Most graphics card drivers allow you to adjust various picture properties such as Brightness, Contrast, Gamma and Saturation.
You can access your graphics card control panel on this way:
Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, Display, Settings, Advanced.
Decoding filter
Most video decoding filters have an option to adjust the brightness. For example DivX, XviD and ffdshow have such an option.
In Media Player Classic (MPC) the properties of a filter can be accessed on this way:
Menu Play, Filters, (name of the decoder).
In BSplayer the properties of a filter can be accessed on this way:
Right-click Menu, Options, Filters, (name of the decoder).
In ZoomPlayer the properties of a filter can be accessed on this way:
Right-click Menu, Filter Properties, (name of the decoder).
In Windows Media Player (MPC) it is not possible to access the properties of a filter. In WMP, right-click on the title bar of the window or the Now Playing tab, in the context menu select View, Enhancements, Video Settings. Note: If you can't adjust the sliders in Video Settings, then you need to enable the option in WMP to use the Video Mixing Rendering (VMR). To turn on VMR in WMP, do the following:

In WMP right-click on the title bar of the window or the Now Playing tab.
In the context menu select Tools, Options.
Click on the Performance tab.
Click on the Advanced button.
In the Video Acceleration area enable Use video mixing renderer.

+ Question: Video playback is too bright or too dark on almost all files or the colors are all messed up, how can I make it better?

Answer: This is probably caused by incorrect settings of your graphics card drivers. Some versions of the nVidia drivers are notorious for messing up their own settings.
Go to your graphics card control panel. You can access your graphics card control panel on this way:
Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, Display, Settings, Advanced.
Reset all settings to their default values. Important settings are Brightness, Contrast, Gamma and Saturation.
Select the Color Correction page. Select All in the dropdown box called Apply color changes to: and then click on the button called Restore Defaults.
Open the Video and television options in the Advanced View. Select Adjust video colour settings, then select Correction. Hit do not use colour temperature correction.
If resetting the settings does not help, then find a newer or an older version of the graphics drivers. Uninstall your current drivers, reboot and install the other version.
A possible workaround is too change the output renderer in Media Player Classic. By default MPC uses the Overlay Mixer. If that gives you troubles, then change it to either VMR7 (renderless) or VMR9 (renderless). To do this start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). There you can find the renderer settings under DirectShow Video.
In Windows Media Player there also is an option that influences the renderer that is used. Start WMP, go to the Tools menu, Options, Performance, Advanced. This brings up the video acceleration settings. There you can choose between Use overlays and Use high quality mode Video Mixing Rendering (VMR).

+ Question: When I resize the Media Player Classic window (or make it full-screen), the video goes to black (while the audio continues normally), how can I prevent the screen from going black?

Answer: This problem may occur if you have WindowBlinds or ObjectDock installed. Disable those programs to solve this problem.
If you have a nVidia GeForce based graphics card then you could update its drivers of your graphics chip (video card) to a version in which this problem is solved.

Subtitles

+ Question: How do I make subtitles display automatically?: Answer: Make sure DirectVobSub (VSFilter) is installed. This filter, which is a tool for displaying subtitles, will display the subtitle stream. The K-Lite Codec Pack installs this filter by default.
Your subtitle files should have the same filename as your video file (for example MovieName.avi, MovieName.idx and MovieName.sub) and should be in the same folder (directory) as your video file. Then the subtitles will automatically be displayed in most players. Note that the DirectShow Video Output setting in MPC has to be on VMR7 or VMR9 in order for subtitles to be displayed in Media Player Classic.
Common subtitle file formats are: srt, idx/sub, idx/rar, smi, ssa and sub.
+ Question: Embedded subtitles are not displayed. How can I make them visible?: Answer: Make sure DirectVobSub (VSFilter) is installed. This filter will display the subtitle stream.
Right-click on the Haali Media Splitter icon in the system tray (at the right-bottom of your screen). There you can select the subtitle that should be displayed.
If that doesn't help, then try enabling the option Autoload VSFilter in Haali Media Splitter, that option can be found in the Configuration of Haali Media Splitter under Options, Compatibitity.
+ Question: How can I disable the subtitles?: Answer: You should see a green arrow shaped icon in your systemtray (at the right-bottom of your screen). That is DirectVobSub (VSFilter). Right-click on that icon to enable or disable the subtitles.
+ Question: Karaoke subtitles are displayed as static subs, how can I change that?: Answer: Disable the Pre-buffer subpictures option in DirectVobSub (VSFilter). With this option of DirectVobSub (VSFilter) will use a little bit more CPU power, but karaoke subtitles are displayed correctly.
+ Question: No subtitles are displayed in Media Center, but they do display in other players, how can I fix that?: Answer: Enable the option "Auto-load VSFilter" in the Haali Media Splitter Configuration.
+ Question: Subtitles are not displayed in Media Player Classic on Windows 7, how can I make them appear?: Answer: There are two possible solutions:
1. Increase the merit of DirectVobSub (VSFilter):
Options, External Filter, click on "Add Filter...", select "DirectVobSub (auto-loading version)", click OK and choose "Prefer".
2. Enable the internal subtitle filter:
Options, Playback and enable the option "Auto-load subtitles".

Configuration

+ Question: Where can I configure the options of the various components of the K-Lite Codec Pack?: Answer: Most configuration screens can be accessed through: Start, All Programs, K-Lite Codec Pack, Configuration.
+ Question: How can I switch audio and subtitle tracks in .mp4, .mkv and .ogm files?: Answer: You should see a white icon in your systemtray (at the right-bottom of your screen). That is the Haali Media Splitter. Right-click on that icon to switch audio and subtitle tracks.
+ Question: How can I set the default language for audio and subtitles in Haali Media Splitter?: Answer: You should see a white icon in your systemtray (at the right-bottom of your screen). That is the Haali Media Splitter. Double-click on that icon to view its options.
You can also get to the options by clicking on the Haali Media Splitter shortcut in the start menu.
Once you are in the Options screen, click on Languages. There you can set the preferred language(s) for audio and subtitles. The language should be input using a three character code, for example eng for English. The language code should be input as lowercase, so eng is correct and ENG is incorrect.
+ Question: Is it possible to prevent ffdshow from being used by certain applications?: Answer: Yes. That is possible.
If ffdshow is causing an incompatibility problem with an application or a game, then you should blacklist that application in ffdshow.
First you need to find out the filename of the main executable of the application. For example Oblivion.exe.
Now go to ffdshow Video decoder configuration and click on DirectShow Control. Enable the box in front of Don't use ffdshow in: and click on the Edit button behind it. Add the filename of your application to the list and then click on OK.
You can do the same in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration.

Media Player Classic

+ Question: How can I see which codecs and DirectShow filters MPC is using to play a file?

Answer: In the menu click on Play and then on Filters.

+ Question: No video is displayed when playing a DVD with Media Player Classic, how can I solve that?

Answer: Enable the internal MPEG-2 decoder in Media Player Classic. To access this option: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Internal Filters, there you can find the option under Transform Filters.

+ Question: How can I make Media Player Classic (MPC) load faster?

Answer: You can make Media Player Classic load a bit faster by storing its settings in the registry instead on in an .ini file (mplayerc.ini).
To do this start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then uncheck Store settings to .ini file.
It is not recommended to use this tweak if you have multiple user accounts on your system, because the settings are per user when stored in the registry instead of global when stored in an .ini file (which is default).
Why isn't this done by default? MPC stores its settings in the user part of the registry (HKCU). Each user account on a system has its own separate HKCU section, which is not accessable by the other users. This means that the installer can only apply (the recommended) settings for the active user account and not for the other accounts (if any). Using the .ini file is the only way to set the recommended settings global (for all users of the system).

+ Question: Media Player Classic freezes for a while when I open the File menu, how can I prevent that?

Answer: To fix this start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then check Hide CD-ROMs menu.

+ Question: I get errors like Media Player Classic could not render some of the pins in the graph. What does that mean?

Answer: This usually means that there is a filter missing that is needed to decode one of the streams in the file. The error message should show some information about the required format, but this information is very cryptic. Below you can find some of the values that the error might show you, together with the format that belongs to it.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: Unknown GUID Name {726D6173-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
formattype: FORMAT_WaveFormatEx {05589F81-C356-11CE-BF01-00AA0055595A}
The format above is AMR audio. To play this you need to enable AMR in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Video {73646976-0000-0010-8000-00AA-00389B71}
subtype: Unknown GUID Name {31535046-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
formattype: Format_VideoInfo {05589F80-C356-11CE-BF01-00AA0055595A}
The format above if FPS1 video. To play this you need Fraps, or you could enable FPS1 in ffdshow Video decoder configuration.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Stream {E436EB83-524F-11CE-9F53-0020AF0BA770}
subtype: MEDIASUBTYPE_MPEG1System {E436EB84-524F-11CE-9F53-0020AF0BA770}
formattype: TIME_FORMAT_NONE {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
The format above is MPEG-1. Try enabling the internal MPEG PS/TS/PVA source filter and MPEG-1 decoder in Media Player Classic.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Stream {E436EB83-524F-11CE-9F53-0020AF0BA770}
subtype: MEDIASUBTYPE_Avi {E436EB88-524F-11CE-9F53-0020AF0BA770}
formattype: TIME_FORMAT_NONE {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
The types above usually mean that you are trying to play an incomplete .avi file or a non-standard compliant .avi file. The default AVI splitter of Windows has difficulty to handle incomplete files. Enable the internal AVI splitter in Media Player Classic.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: Unknown GUID Name {34616D69-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
The format above is IMA4 audio. Enable IMA ADPCM in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: Unknown GUID Name {00006771-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
formattype: FORMAT_WaveFormatEx {05589F81-C356-11CE-BF01-00AA0055595A}
The format above is Ogg Vorbis audio. Enable Vorbis in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration.
majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: Unknown GUID Name {736F7774-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
formattype: FORMAT_WaveFormatEx {05589F81-C356-11CE-BF01-00AA0055595A}
The format above is TWOS audio. There is no DirectShow decoder for this audio format. You should however be able to play this file in Media Player Classic if the QuickTime codecs are installed.

+ Question: I have installed DC-DSP, but it doesn't seem to work when using Media Player Classic, how can I make it work?

Answer: You need to disable the internal audio switcher of Media Player Classic. To access this option: start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Audio Switcher under Internal Filters. There you have to uncheck the first checkbox called Enable built-in audio switcher filter (needs re-opening, disables morgen switcher).

+ Question: An ActiveMovie window appears when opening a DVD with Media Player Classic, how can I get rid of it?

+ Question: The Save Image and Save Thumbnails functions of Media Player Classic both give the same error and don't work. How can I make those functions work?

Answer: Media Player Classic gives error:
GetCurrentImage failed, hr = 8000ffff
The solution is to change the output renderer. The renderer in Media Player Classic is set to Overlay Mixer by default, since that is the most compatible renderer. However, saving images or taking screenshots is not possible when using Overlay.
To change the output renderer start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). There you see the output renderer settings under DirectShow Video. Change the output renderer for DirectShow Video to for example VMR9 (renderless). After MPC is closed after that the Save Image and Save Thumbnails functions will work fine.

+ Question: Media Player Classic gives a black screen on the TV-out. What do I have to do to solve that?

Answer: Change the output renderer. Start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). There you see the settings for DirectShow Video. Try the different renderers until you find one that works for you. Restart the player each time you change the renderer.

+ Question: Media Player Classic freezes when trying to play a DVD, how do I prevent that?

Answer: Make sure that your DVD drive is set at the correct region and that the region of your DVD drive matches that of the DVD.
You can edit the region settings of your DVD drive by clicking on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager and then DVD/CD-ROM drives.
Media Player Classic can only play DVDs on Windows NT-based operating systems like Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8, 2012, 8.1, 10 and 2016.

+ Question: Some files that contain unicode characters give a Failed to render the file error in Media Player Classic, how can I fix that?

Answer: This may happen with some filetypes. The solution is to change the filename so that it only contains ASCII characters.

+ Question: Playback is not smooth (it stutters) even though the CPU usage is low, what causes that?

Answer: In some rare cases Overlay Mixer in combination with YV12 colorspace output causes the video to stutter. Probably due to a bug in the graphics drivers.
Solutions:

Change the renderer in Media Player Classic. Start Media Player Classic and click on View in the top menu, then click on Options... (the last item) and then click on Output (under Playback). There you see the output renderer settings under DirectShow Video.
Force RGB32 output in ffdshow. Start the ffdshow Video decoder configuration, click on Output and deselect all colorspaces (YV12, etc.) except RGB32 and enable High quality YV12 to RGB conversion.

+ Question: QuickTime files from the GameTrailers website play very choppy, how can I make it better?

Answer: This happens if Haali MP4 splitter gets used to play the file.
Solutions:

Enable the internal MP4/MOV splitter in Media Player Classic.
Install the QuickTime codecs. That way MPC will use the QuickTime framework for playing .mov files.
Select Gabest MP4 splitter during the installation of the K-Lite Codec Pack.

+ Question: Some .mov files play without sound, but I would like to hear it. What should I do?

Answer: See the answer of the question above.

+ Question: How do I exit from the special Direct3D Fullscreen mode in Media Player Classic (MPC)?

Answer: The context menu and most of the keyboard shortcuts do not work in Direct3D mode. The only way to exit Direct3D Fullscreen is to press Ctrl + C. This will also stop playback.

+ Question: Opening .asx or .wax streams in Media Player Classic (MPC) gives a Failed to render the file error. What can I do about that?

Answer: Media Player Classic does not (properly) support these file types. Use Windows Media Player (WMP) for these files.

+ Question: I can't repeat (or stop and play again) certain files in Media Player Classic. Can that be fixed?

Answer: No, the only way to replay those files is to re-open them. This is a limitation of the current Media Player Classic.

Windows Media Player

+ Question: How can I play DVDs in Windows Media Player (WMP)?

Answer: To play DVDs in Windows Media Player (9, 10 or 11) you need a MPEG-2 decoder that is capable of decoding DVD video and is also compatible with WMP. The K-Lite Codec Pack contains a compatible decoder.
Some examples of compatible decoders are: Cyberlink, DScaler5, InterVideo, MainConcept and nVidia PureVideo.

+ Question: Windows Media Player shows no video when a subtitle file is present, what is the solution for this problem?

Answer: The problem is caused by a bug in recent versions of DirectVobSub (VSFilter). A solution for this problem is to use an older version of DirectVobSub (VSFilter). You need to install DirectVobSub (VSFilter) 2.33, which is the latest version of DirectVobSub (VSFilter) without this bug.
Alternatively you can disable DirectVobSub (VSFilter) and use the internal subtitle filter in ffdshow video decoder instead.

+ Question: Video in Windows Media Player (WMP) isn't played correctly when it is in a playlist, how can I make that work fine too?

Answer: If you find that a video disappears (turns all black) or turns purple and green about 20 seconds before it stops playing or that video for every file in the playlist isn't displayed, turn off overlays. To turn off overlays in Windows Media Player 9 or later, do the following: click on Options under the Tools menu and then click on the Performance tab, then click on Advanced and clear the Use overlays checkbox.
If the problem continues, try turning off the Video Mixing Renderer (VMR). You can turn off the VMR by clearing the Use video mixing renderer checkbox (which can be found on the same location as the Use overlays checkbox).

+ Question: Windows Media Video (.wmv) High Definition (HD) videos play slow and without sound in Windows Media Player (WMP), why is that?

Answer: If one or more of the following filters is installed on your computer, then disable or uninstall them to fix this problem:

Matrix Mixer
Morgan Multimedia Stream Switcher
DC-DSP

Thumbnails

+ Question: How do I disable the thumbnail view of video files in Windows XP and how do I disable the icons that appear in the system tray when browsing a folder (directory) that contains video files in Windows Explorer and how do I prevent Windows Explorer from crashing when browsing a folder (directory) that contains video files?: Answer: Click on Start, then click on Run and type
regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll
and press enter.

Windows issues

+ Question: My game crashes during playback of an in-game video, does that have anything to do with codecs?

Answer: Could be. Possible solutions:

Blacklist you game in ffdshow. This prevents ffdshow from being used by your game.
First you need to find out the filename of the main executable of the application. For example Oblivion.exe.
Now go to ffdshow Video decoder configuration and click on DirectShow Control. Enable the box in front of Don't use ffdshow in: and click on the Edit button behind it. Add the filename of your application to the list and then click on OK.
You can do the same in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration.
Disable the MPEG-2 demuxer (if installed). You can do that using the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool.
Use the Fraunhofer DirectShow MP3 decoder instead of ffdshow for decoding MP3 audio.
Disable the Nero audio decoder filter (NeAudio.ax). You can do that using the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool or manually. If you want to do it manually:
Click on Start, then click on Run and type
regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\DSFilter\NeAudio.ax"
and press enter.
Update your graphics card drivers.

+ Question: I have trouble with AVI2DVD. Can you help?

Answer: If you get INTERFACE NOT SUPPORTED errors with .avi files, then enable Gabest AVI splitter during installation of the K-Lite Codec Pack.
If you get Floating point division by zero errors on files with AC3 audio, then go to the options of AC3Filter and set Master volume, Gain and Surround levels to their default values of zero (0).

+ Question: Many files won't play properly on Windows Vista, how can I solve that?

Answer: The solution is to disable the User Account Control (UAC) functionality of Windows Vista.

+ Question: The installer gives the error "Internal error: Failed to get path of 64-bit Program Files directory." on 64-bit Windows, how can that be solved?

Answer: This answer is for experts only. Click on Start, then click on Run and type regedit and press enter. Then navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Then make sure the registry value ProgramFilesDir points to the 64-bit Program Files path, which is usually C:\Program Files\.
Also make sure the registry value CommonFilesDir points to the 64-bit Common Program Files path, which is usually C:\Program Files\Common Files\.

+ Question: Some .avi files cause explorer.exe to crash. How can I fix that?

Answer: This answer is for experts only. Click on Start, then click on Run and type regedit and press enter. Then navigate to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\
If there is a key in there with the name DivX in it, delete it. Now navigate to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\
If there is a key called PropertyHandler in there, delete the value (Default). Then it will appear as an empty value. Finally close the registry editor and reboot the computer. Now .avi files should not cause explorer.exe to crash anymore.

+ Question: How do I change a file association?

Answer: Start Windows Explorer and click on Tools (or Extra), then click on Folder Options and then on File Types. Now select the file extension that you want to change and then click on Change... and select the program that you want to use to open the selected file extension. Finally press the OK button to confirm. If the file extension is not yet in the list, then click on New and add it to the list yourself.

+ Question: How can I force a full re-install of DirectX?

Answer: This answer is for experts only. Normally the DirectX installer will refuse to install if it detects that you already have the latest version of DirectX installed. This makes it difficult to fix a broken DirectX installation. Luckily, there is a workaround to trick the DirectX installer into a full re-installation. Click on Start, then click on Run and type regedit and press enter. Then navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX
Change the value of version from 4.09.00.0904 to 4.08.00.0904.
Now run the DirectX installer, it will perform a full installation.

+ Question: I don't have sound in some programs, how can I solve that?

Answer: Run the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool. It has a fix for broken audio (MIDI, WaveOut). It will restore missing registry keys.
If the fix is greyed out or if the fix does not have any effect, then your problem is probably more severe than a few missing registry keys. Re-installing the audio drivers might solve your problem.
If your sound problem only occurs with Flash videos, then read the question about this problem specifically for Flash.

+ Question: How to fix the COM Surrogate has stopped working errors I get in Windows Vista?

Answer: This error may pop up when you browse a folder (directory) that contains many video files.
To see what exactly caused the error: Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Problem Reports and Solutions, View Problem History and then double-click on the COM surrogate error. Then have a look at the Fault Module Name item.
Workarounds:

Open the DivX Decoder configuration and uncheck Use advanced hardware overlay.
Don't install the DivX decoder or disable it with the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool and use ffdshow instead to decode DivX video.
Disable the Nero MPEG-1/2/4 & AVC video decoder filter (NeVideo.ax) with the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool.

Solution:

Disable thumbnail generation in Windows Vista. Open Windows Explorer and click on Organize, Folder and Search Options, View, Enable Always show icons, never thumbnails.

+ Question: Windows Vista shows errors like "Windows Explorer has stopped working" and "Windows Explorer is restarting", how can I prevent that?

Answer: Details about what caused the crash can usually be found in the Event log of Windows. To access the Event Viewer: Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer.
Sometimes the problem is caused by the Gabest MPEG splitter (MpegSplitter.ax). You can disable this filter with the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool.
If the problems continue or the Gabest MPEG splitter was not installed, then look in the Event Viewer logs to see what else causes the problem.

+ Question: My computer shows a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) or reboots when I try to play an audio or video file, how can I prevent that?

Answer: A corrupt file or a buggy codec may cause a player to crash, but not the whole system. A Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) or a spontaneous reboot is usually an indication of hardware or driver failure. Re-install your graphics and sound drivers. Preferably a different version, either newer or older.
Some details about what caused the crash can usually be found in the Event log of Windows. To access the Event Viewer: Click on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer.

+ Question: Running regsvr32.exe gives error 0x80070005 in Windows Vista, what does that mean and how can I solve that?

Answer: Error 0x80070005 means Access denied. This error can be avoided by starting a command prompt window with Administrator privileges and running regsvr32.exe from there.
Click on Start, then go to Accessories and right-click on Command Prompt and click on Run as in the context menu. You must select a user account with Administrator privileges in the window which then appears. When you then run regsvr32.exe from the Command Prompt you won't get the Access denied error.

+ Question: What are the default codecs that come with Windows?

Answer: Some of the codecs that come standard with Windows are:

IMA ADPCM Audio Codec
Microsoft ADPCM Audio Codec
TrueSpeech Software Audio Codec
Microsoft Video 1 Video Codec
RLE Video Codec

+ Question: What is System Restore?

Answer: Every time you download or install a new game, application or software update you make changes to your computer. Sometimes that change may make your system unstable. Have you ever wanted to go back to the way it was? With System Restore, you can (a bit). System Restore works a lot like the Undo command. You can use System Restore to remove certain system changes that were made since the last time you remember your computer working correctly. System Restore does not affect your personal data files so you won't lose changes made to these files.
How does System restore work?
Windows XP periodically records a snapshot of a part of your computer. These snapshots are called restore points. Windows XP also creates restore points at the time of significant system events (such as when an application or driver is installed) or you can create and name your own restore points at any time. If you've installed a program that has made your computer unstable, you can open system restore, choose a restore point and return your computer to its previous stable state.
When you run System Restore, a calendar is displayed to help you find restore points. If you don't use your computer every day, some days might not have any restore points. If you use your computer frequently, you might have restore points almost every day and some days might have several restore points.
Please note that System Restore does not magically restore your entire system to a previous state. It only reverts some important parts of your system.
Therefore it is highly recommended to first uninstall the problematic software, before you use System Restore to go back to a point prior to the installation of that software.

Troubleshooting

+ Question: How can I find out which component of the K-Lite Codec Pack is the cause of a certain problem which started after installing it?: Answer: Uninstall the K-Lite Codec Pack and test to make sure the problem is not there.
Now install the K-Lite Codec Pack again. Only this time select a subset of the components that you had installed previously when the problem occurred. Add only one or a few components to that subset each time you install the pack, until you run into the problem again. It is not required to uninstall the K-Lite Codec Pack each time during this process. Installing on top of the current installation should work fine when your new component selection includes all components you installed during the previous install.
Once you have found the problematic component(s), you can do a fresh install of the K-Lite Codec Pack with the desired components selected minus the problematic one(s).
Please also report the problem plus the problematic component that causes the problem. Then a solution can be devised to prevent or workaround the problem.
+ Question: How can I see which codecs and filters are being used to play a file?: Answer: You can do that in several ways.
Media Player Classic: While playing a file, click on Play in the top menu, then move your mouse onto Filters in the dropdown menu.
BSplayer: While playing a file, right-click on BSplayer. In the menu that appears, click on Options and then on Filters.
GraphEdit: Start GraphEdit. Drag and drop a file into the window. A graph will be build showing all filters that are used to play the file.
ZoomPlayer: While playing a file, right-click on ZoomPlayer. In the menu that appears, click on Filter Properties, then on Graph Information.
+ Question: How can I generate a list of all codecs and filters that are installed on my system?: Answer: Run the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool and select the option to generate a text file containing all the installed codecs and filters.
+ Question: How can I remove broken codecs and DirectShow filters?: Answer: Run the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool and select the two options to detect broken codecs and DirectShow filters. If the tool detects something that is broken, it will prompt you with the details and you will be given the option to remove the broken item.
+ Question: How can I remove a DirectShow filter?: Answer: You can do this in several ways.
The K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool:
Run the K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool that is included with the K-Lite Codec Pack. It has the ability to disable several DirectShow filters (DirectShow Filter Management).
Manually:
Manually disable a filter from the Windows\system32 folder (directory) using the command line (replace example.ax by the filename of the filter you wish to disable):
Click on Start, then click on Run and type
regsvr32 /u example.ax
and press enter.
If the file is located outside the Windows\system32 folder (directory), then you need to use the full path of the file instead of just the filename. If the path contains spaces, then surround it with quotes. Example:
regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\K-Lite Codec Pack\filters\ac3filter.ax"
Some notes:
If unregistering fails, it usually is because the file is no longer present on your system, but its information is still present the Windows Registry. The K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool that is included with the K-Lite Codec Pack has the ability to scan for broken filters and remove them.
If unregistering succeeds, then the filter is disabled and it won't be used anymore. The file itself is not touched and can be removed manually.
Be careful with what you remove. Don't simply remove everything. A lot of filters are standard components of Windows or DirectX (like quartz.dll). Don't remove those. If you are unsure, then right-click on the file (in Windows Explorer) and select Properties. If is says anything about Microsoft Windows or DirectX in the properties, then you shouldn't touch it.
+ Question: How can I remove ACM (Audio Compression Manager) audio codecs?: Answer: Go to the Windows Control Panel by clicking on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel and then double-click on System to open the System Properties.
Click on the Hardware tab and then on the Device manager button. Open Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click on Audio Codecs and select Properties. On the properties tab you can remove ACM audio codecs.
+ Question: How can I remove VFW (Video For Windows) video codecs?: Answer: Go to the Windows Control Panel by clicking on Start, go to Settings, Control Panel and then double-click on System to open the System Properties.
Click on the Hardware tab and then on the Device manager button. Open Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click on Video Codecs and select Properties. On the properties tab you can remove VFW video codecs.

DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA)

+ Question: What is DXVA?

Answer: DXVA is an abbreviation for DirectX Video Acceleration. It is a DirectX Application Programming Interface (API) for using a graphics card to assist with the decoding of video, which results in a lower CPU usage.

+ Question: Which decoders and players are capable of using DXVA?

Answer: The video decoder needs to have support for DXVA. At this moment only a few of such decoders exist.
Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC HC) contains internal DXVA decoders for H.264 and VC-1 video.

+ Question: What are the requirements to make DXVA work?

Answer: DXVA will only work if you comply with these requirements:

The graphics card must be compatible with DXVA.
On Windows XP you must use one of the following video renderers: Overlay Mixer, VMR-7 or VMR-9. It is recommended to use VMR-9 (renderless), because it's compatible with the internal subtitle filter of Media Player Classic (MPC).
On Windows Vista you must use one of the following video renderers: Enhanced Video Renderer (EVR) or EVR Custom Presenter. It is recommended to use Enhanced Video Renderer Custom Presenter, because it's compatible with the internal subtitle filter of MPC.
There may be no intermediate filters between the video decoder and the video renderer. No intermediate filters means that you can't use ffdshow for processing raw video. This is already disabled by default. No intermediate filters also means that DirectVobSub should not be used for displaying subtitles. You should enable the internal subtitle filter of MPC HC (in Options, Playback and then enable Autoload subtitles) if you want to be able to view subtitles. Don't forget to select a video renderer that is compatible with the internal subtitle filter, for example VMR-9 (renderless) or EVR Custom Presenter. DirectVobSub will automatically get blocked by MPC when the internal subtitle filter becomes active. If you haven't enabled the internal subtitle filter, or if you use a video renderer that is incompatible with the internal subtitle filter, then it is recommended to manually block DirectVobSub. You can do so in Options and then External Filters. The filter that needs to be blocked is "DirectVobSub (auto-loading version)".
The video itself must be DXVA compliant. For example H.264 video with more than 11 reference frames is not DXVA compatible.

+ Question: Which graphics cards are compatible with the internal DXVA decoders of Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC HC)?

Answer: Graphic cards of the ATI Radeon HD or nVidia GeForce 7 series or newer should be compatible with MPC HC.

Various

+ Question: Is it possible to use Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox if there is no Internet connection available (or if it may not be used)?

Answer: Yes. In that case it's needed that the installer of Mozilla Firefox is located in the same folder (directory) as Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox and that it has the correct filename. The filename is FirefoxEN.exe (English) or FirefoxNL.exe (Dutch) for Mozilla Firefox (when using a recent Windows version). It works perfectly fine when other versions of Mozilla Firefox (for other operating systems and languages) are in the same folder (directory) too: when Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox is run it will automatically pick the right version.
The filename for the Adobe Flash Player plugin is install_flash_player.exe (Language neutral).

+ Question: Is it possible to specify where Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox will be installed?

Answer: Yes, this is possible by entering "/D=Directory" as parameter, where "Directory" should be the full path to the directory to install Mozilla Firefox into. The path may always be quoted, but the quotes are only needed if the path contains spaces. Example:
UtiluMF.exe /D="C:\Windows\Mozilla Firefox"
The installer must have write access to the installation directory. Also the directory must already exist. If any of these conditions are not met the installer will ignore the parameter.

+ Question: Is it possible to automatically choose the desired language of Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox before installation?

Answer: Yes, this is possible by entering "/LANG=EN" for English, or "/LANG=NL" for Dutch (Nederlands), as parameter. In the following example Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox will immediately start in English, instead of asking which language to use:
UtiluMF.exe /LANG=EN

+ Question: Is it possible to install Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox fully automatic, without it being visible?

Answer: Yes, this is possible by entering "/VERYSILENT" as parameter. When this parameter is entered Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox won't be visible.

+ Question: Is it possible to let Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox immediately create a profile, without running the Import Wizard?

Answer: Yes, this is possible by entering "/CreateProfile" as parameter. When this parameter is entered Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox won't show the Import Wizard, but instead immediately create a new profile, without importing anything.

+ Question: Is it possible to combine multiple parameters in Utilu Silent Setup for Mozilla Firefox?

Answer: Yes, this is possible by entering them all space seperated. Example:
UtiluMF.exe /D="C:\Windows\Mozilla Firefox" /LANG=EN /VERYSILENT

+ Question: How should Internet Explorer 8 be configured to be able to properly test Internet websites on the local network?

Answer: Therefore it's needed to change some default settings, because otherwise Internet Explorer 8 will render local websites differently than websites on the Internet.
Go to the "Tools" menu and click on "Compatibility View Settings". Now deselect the option "Display intranet sites in Compatibility View". Verify that the option "Display all websites in Compatibility View" isn't selected and deselect it if needed. Also check if the list below "Websites you've added to Compatibility View:" is empty. Then click the "Close"-button.
Now go to the "Tools" menu and click on "Internet Options". Then click on the "Advanced"-tab. Scroll to the "Browsing"-options. Deselect the option "Automatically recover from page layout errors with Compatibility View". If you want you can also customize other options, like "Disable script debugging", "Display a notification about every script error" and "Show friendly HTTP error messages". Finally click on "OK".

+ Question: How can the Internet Explorer 7 render engine be activated in Internet Explorer 8?

Answer: Go to the "Tools" menu and select "Developer Tools", or press F12. Then click on the "Browser Mode" menu item and select "Internet Explorer 7" to let the Trident render engine of Internet Explorer 7 render the website.
Note that pages which open in new windows or popups will be rendered by the Trident render engine of Internet Explorer 8. So the Browser Mode needs to be set separately for every window.

+ Question: When I enter an address in Internet Explorer 6.0 the website is opened in the default browser and not in Internet Explorer 6.0. How can this be solved?

Answer: Internet Explorer 6.0 version 6.00.2900.5512 and higher contain a bug which results in pages opening in the default browser instead of in that version. In Internet Explorer 6.0 (6.00.2800.1106) and Internet Explorer 6.0 (6.00.2900.2180) this problem does not occur.
Therefore use these versions of Internet Explorer 6.0 instead of Internet Explorer 6.0 (6.00.2900.5512).

+ Question: How can I install KeePass Password Safe with the Dutch Language module?

Answer: When using the installer in which the Dutch Language module is included this will go automatically.
To install KeePass Password Safe with the Dutch Language module:

Install KeePass Password Safe.
Extract the Dutch Language module in the Languages subfolder of KeePass Password Safe, the default path is C:\Program Files\KeePass Password Safe\Languages.
Start KeePass Password Safe and choose View, Change Language... and choose the Dutch translation. Then answer Yes to the question if you wish to restart KeePass in order to use the new language.

+ Question: How can I install IrfanView completely, with the Dutch Language module?

Answer: To install IrfanView completely, with the Dutch Language module:

Install IrfanView. Note that old versions of IrfanView will install the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Google Desktop Search by default. Deselect the checkboxes of the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Google Desktop Search in the installer to prevent this.
Install IrfanView All Plug-Ins.
Extract the Dutch Language module for IrfanView in the subfolder Languages of IrfanView, the default path is C:\Program Files\IrfanView\Languages.
Start IrfanView and choose Options, Change language... and choose one of the Dutch translations and finish by clicking on OK to apply the changes.

+ Question: How can I make a screenshot and safe it with IrfanView?

Answer: To make a screenshot and safe it with IrfanView:

Make sure that where you want a screenshot from is visible on screen, then press the Print Screen button on your keyboard.
Start IrfanView and click on Edit and then Paste (or press CTRL+V), now the screenshot you just made becomes visible.
Now click on File, Save as... (or press S), enter a filename and choose PNG - Portable Network Graphics from the list under Safe as and type 9 after Compression level in the right window and finish by clicking on Save.

+ Question: I want that Microsoft Updates install automatically, how can I do that?

Configure Automatic Updates
Choose besides Enable for:
4 - Automatically download updates and install them on the schedule specified below
0 - Every day
10:00 AM (for example)
Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation
Enable recommended updates via Automatic Updates

From now on Microsoft Updates will be applied automatically.

+ Question: I want to uninstall Microsoft OneDrive in Windows 10, how can I do that?

Answer: Click on Start, then click on Run (or press the keyboard accelerator Windows + R) and type
gpedit.msc
and press enter.
Now a window called Group Policy appears, click on Local Computer Policy, Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components and finally OneDrive.
Then enable the following settings:
- Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.
In the Windows registry, this will create a DWORD (32-bit) Value called DisableFileSyncNGSC with value 1 in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive

To uninstall OneDrive, open a Administrator Command Prompt and execute the following commands:
TASKKILL /F /IM OneDrive.exe
%SystemRoot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
RD "%UserProfile%\OneDrive" /Q /S
RD "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\OneDrive" /Q /S
RD "%ProgramData%\Microsoft OneDrive" /Q /S
REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f
REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f

+ Question: Which user specific Windows 10 settings are a good idea to adjust?

Answer: For example:

Control Panel ⇒ Language ⇒ Advanced settings ⇒ Switching input methods ⇒ Change language bar hot keys
Text Services and Input Languages ⇒ Advanced Key Settings ⇒ Hot keys for input languages ⇒ Change Key Sequence... ⇒ Set both Switch Input Language and Switch Keyboard Layout to Not Assigned
Control Panel ⇒ Sound ⇒ Sounds ⇒ Sound Scheme: No Sounds ⇒ OK
Pin Mozilla Firefox to taskbar
Unpin Windows Store shortcut from taskbar
Taskbar ⇒ Right mouse button ⇒ Seach ⇒ Hide
Taskbar ⇒ Right mouse button ⇒ Properties ⇒ Taskbar buttons: Combine when taskbar is full
Windows Explorer ⇒ View ⇒ Options ⇒ Folder and Search Options ⇒ View
- ON Always show menus
- OFF Hide file extensions for known file types
IE and Edge
- Google default search engine
Edge:
https://www.google.nl/ ⇒ Menu ⇒ Settings ⇒ View advanced settings ⇒ Search in the address bar with ⇒ Add new ⇒ www.google.nl ⇒ Set as default
IE and Mozilla Firefox
- Cache off
Desktop ⇒ Right mouse button ⇒ View ⇒ Auto arrange icons
Start ⇒ Settings ⇒ Personalization ⇒ Start
Turn off the box called Occasionally show suggestions in Start
Command Prompt ⇒ Command Prompt Properties ⇒ Font ⇒ Size ⇒ 16px
Power Options
Start ⇒ Settings ⇒ System ⇒ Default apps

+ Question: I would like to send e-mail to many people at once. What is the best way to do that?

Answer: The best way to send e-mail to many people at once is to enter the e-mail addresses in the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) field.
Entering all addresses in the To or Carbon Copy (CC) field would let all recipients see each others names and e-mail addresses. Viruses, ad- and spyware use this information to spread themselves. The consequence of that is that everyone will get the viruses, ad- and spyware. All e-mail addresses could end up on spam-mailinglists too.
In, for instance, Microsoft Outlook Express the BCC field is hidden by default. You need to make the BCC field visible by composing a new message, clicking on the View menu (on top of the screen) and selecting the All Headers option. Then you fill in all e-mail addresses in the BCC field. The fields To and CC stay empty.